Arsenic, selenium, and mercury occur widely in nature, though at low levels, and are associated with sulfide ores, elemental sulfur, and in crude oil and coal deposits. These metals are used in the manufacture of numerous industrial products, such as semiconductors, fuel cells, photographic processes, agricultural products, preservatives and pharmaceuticals, to name just a few.
- By Ratana Kanluen, MSc., Sultan Amer, Ph.D.
This article originally appeared in the 11/01/2006 issue of Environmental Protection.
The following is the first of a two-part series that analyzes new Phase 1 ESA requirements and their impact on consultants and their clients. The second part is scheduled to be published in the November/December 2006 issue of Environmental Protection.
This article originally appeared in the 10/01/2006 issue of Environmental Protection.
Benjamin Franklin is frequently quoted as having said: "We will never know the true value of water until the well runs dry." Although conservation was the first attempt at preserving and maintaining limited fresh water supplies, the idea of "reclaim, recycle, and reuse" was the next push for managing them.
This article originally appeared in the 09/01/2006 issue of Environmental Protection.
Switching from a membrane-type dissolved oxygen (DO) probe to new, breakthrough luminescent technology has brought tighter control to the conventional aeration system serving the Holland Area Wastewater Treatment Plant. Plus, a four-month trial demonstrated that the new luminescent DO (LDO) probe performs well monitoring high-DO effluent from the facility's pure oxygen system. Until now, it had been difficult for the plant to find a reliable online measurement instrument for this environment.
This article originally appeared in the 09/01/2006 issue of Environmental Protection.
The need for removal and destruction of contaminants of concern (COC), like petroleum hydrocarbons and chlorinated organics, in soil and groundwater has led to the development of a wide range of technologies for both in ground (in-situ) and above ground (ex-situ) treatment of these contaminants.
This article originally appeared in the 06/01/2006 issue of Environmental Protection.
The California Department of Toxic Substances (DTSC) began enforcing Universal Waste management rules for all waste generators effective Feb. 9, 2006. All businesses and households are now required to properly dispose of batteries and mercury-containing lamps and devices at a certified recycling facility.
This article originally appeared in the 04/01/2006 issue of Environmental Protection.
A serious problem faces our society as the demand for clean water begins to exceed the available supply. Treating and reusing wastewater is becoming an acceptable solution to this problem.
- By Dennis F. Hallahan, PE
This article originally appeared in the 03/01/2006 issue of Environmental Protection.
Groundwater and soil contamination are among the most time-consuming and costly environmental remediation challenges facing our communities today. Solvents, metals, organic compounds, and other chemicals remain in the soil and seep into groundwater long after the facilities that used or created the contaminants have stopped operating.
This article originally appeared in the 01/01/2006 issue of Environmental Protection.
The Wastewater Operations Division of Charlotte County Utilities in Charlotte County, Fla., operates in a unique underground construction setting. The county is in the process of substantially expanding its utility infrastructure to serve thousands of platted residential lots and accommodate the demands of rapid population growth.
This article originally appeared in the 01/01/2006 issue of Environmental Protection.
Water reuse has gone from being a positive environmental alternative to a growing necessity. Reusing wastewater saves money and the environment, but it can be expensive to pipe treated water through miles of distribution lines from a centralized reclamation facility to where it is needed.
This article originally appeared in the 11/01/2005 issue of Environmental Protection.
Physical water treatment (PWT) is a general term that refers to non-chemical methods of controlling or preventing fouling, especially mineral fouling or scale. PWT technologies use the laws of physics to impact water chemistries and mitigate scale without the use of chemical additives. Such technologies target lime scale, an extremely adhesive crystalline precipitate of calcium carbonate, which is responsible for the majority of scaling problems. Calcium carbonate also traps other minerals, such as magnesium, to form combined scales, just as it traps soap in residential sinks and bathtubs to form so-called "soap scum."
This article originally appeared in the 11/01/2005 issue of Environmental Protection.
Over the past few decades there has been an increased awareness of the importance of water quality. Many municipalities and industrial facilities have upgraded or installed new technologies to meet the demand for clean water. Advances in water quality science show that further improvements are needed to ensure a plentiful water supply and to protect the natural environment.
- By W. Wesley Eckenfelder, William Ney Hansard
This article originally appeared in the 10/01/2005 issue of Environmental Protection.
Despite the very best in design, there does come a time in every wastewater lagoon system when sludge must be removed.
This article originally appeared in the 09/01/2005 issue of Environmental Protection.
Ultraviolet (UV) irradiation is a proven disinfection technology that has been used for almost a century. The technology is used to disinfect drinking water (municipal and consumer), wastewater (discharge and water reuse), indoor air, swimming pools, and industrial effluents from the food and beverage industries, cooling towers, fish hatcheries, ballast water, semiconductor fabricators, and pharmaceutical manufacturers.
- By Bertrand W. Dussert, PhD
This article originally appeared in the 09/01/2005 issue of Environmental Protection.
n the July/August edition of Water & Wasterwater Products, the first appearance of this column, I referred to my first "real" job: a 1974 internship in the office of the U.S. Senator from Wisconsin who died recently at the age of 89.
This article originally appeared in the 09/01/2005 issue of Environmental Protection.
Web-based software helps predict sewer failure and overflows by monitoring flow data
This article originally appeared in the 09/01/2005 issue of Environmental Protection.
Water quality is intimately connected to quality of life. Although this fact of life has been understated for many years, water professionals have long known that clean water is an increasingly scarce and valuable commodity that cannot be taken for granted. The Clean Water Act brought about increased regulatory oversight, resulting in recent criminal charges and fines against violators, and environmental organizations are succeeding in bringing about public awareness of the need to protect water resources by encouraging businesses to include water stewardship and utilization in corporate sustainability reporting.
This article originally appeared in the 09/01/2005 issue of Environmental Protection.
There are two standards that apply to municipal water and wastewater treatment plants: NFPA 820 Standards for Fire Protection in Wastewater Treatment and Collection Facilities, 2003, and OSHA 1910.148 Appendix E: Sewer System Entry. While both standards apply, they address different facets of the treatment facility.
This article originally appeared in the 09/01/2005 issue of Environmental Protection.
The other day a person preparing to make a presentation on small aboveground storage tanks (ASTs) asked me for a "sexy spin" on fuel tanks. I wasn't sure if I should be amused or upset. Fuel tanks are designed to hold fuel. That's it.
This article originally appeared in the 07/01/2005 issue of Environmental Protection.
All roads leading to the control of greenhouse gas emissions pass through Kyoto, right? Wrong! The Kyoto Protocol is just one part of the burgeoning web of mandatory, voluntary, and market-based programs for addressing global climate change.
This article originally appeared in the 06/01/2005 issue of Environmental Protection.